Samsung Galaxy Tab: First Impressions

I had the rare opportunity to actually play around with a Samsung Galaxy Tab at an Engadget Reader Meetup (which is like a mini-tech expo) last Thursday night.  Samsung had a table there showcasing their Galaxy S phones plus their Galaxy Tab.  It was the most popular table at the expo.  Samsung was limiting the usuage to about 2-3 minutes per person so my first impressions are only based on the very limited time.  So what did I think?

Well, a lot is riding on this Galaxy Tab.  It is the first true competitor to Apple's iPad.  The specs are comparable to the iPad but it is a 7" screen compared to Apple's 9.7".  My initial impression: it did not impress me.  From others who tried it at the expo, they were not impressed either.  Again, I was limited in the interaction with the tablet so it is not a fair assessment.  We are planning to do a full review once it is released which will provide a true picture.

 I forgot about Android Market (no that is not me using the tablet) until I reviewed the pictures at home.  I wished that I would have tried it out to see if Android Market works as intended.  Also the above pic shows the keyboard that one can purchase for the tablet. 

 

Ok, I probably played with the Galaxy Tab for a grand total of 3 minutes before the Samsung rep had to take it out of my hands.  It is not enough time to tell how good or bad it is.  Again my initial impression is that I was not impressed.  This is not to say that the Galaxy Tab is bad.  Until we run tests and see it in action, we will reserve judgement.  The tablet did seem responsive (overall and also with the screen).  Web pages appear to render correctly.  The tablet has pinch to zoom which is great.   The accelerometer appeared to work fine too but until we run some apps (namely games), we will not know how responsive it really is.  Unfortunately, there were no videos available to test.

November 11th is when one can purchase this through Verizon Wireless.  TabletConnect plans on getting our hands on one and seeing how it performs.  Also, we will be paying attention whether the 7" screen is sufficient or if Mr. Jobs is correct about these smaller tablets.  Stay tune!!!